Burn it to the Ground
by xkissmewasabix
Summary: Sometimes taking a side is necessary when terrible things happen to the ones you love. In all the chaos of war, Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger learn things about one another that they never expected.
1. For My Mother, For the Light

Chapter 1: For my Mother, for The Light

Summary: Some people don't have a choice on which side they are forced into. Draco Malfoy realizes that he's never favored either side. But when horrible things happen to the ones you love, sometimes taking a side is necessary.

Authors Note: This is my second work in progress I hope you all enjoy it, because god knows I love writing it. Feed back is welcome.

Chapter 1: For my Mother, for The Light

Draco Malfoy stood very, very still. He could feel Severus behind him with his wand at his throat. He wasn't pushing hard enough to make it a threat but as the older mentor clutched his body against his it was as if to heed a warning, _do not move._

Lucius Malfoy paced around the scene about 10 meters away from his son and his sons godfather, wand in hand pointed at the bloodied heap on the dirty cobble stone floor. Draco Malfoy felt like he was in a fucking circus as he turned his head to the right slightly and saw The Dark Lord himself cackling and moving about the room. The other death eaters kept their distance to the left of the room in fear and subservience.

Lucius yawned and glanced over at the crowd as if to cure his boredom from the sight before him. Voldermort noted this and snapped around to face his followers.

" Narcissa was a blood traitor! Her blood is now spilled for the cause of a pureblood nation that will soon rule this world! Anyone who intends to aide The Light will suffer a much worst fate than this _whore." _The woman shifted and made a faint gurgling sound, choking on the blood in her mouth.He looked at Lucius to see the mans reaction but found nothing but pure boredom cross the older mans face. This satisfied him, almost, but not quite.

" Take turns on her in front of the boy, he is weak and spoiled because of this woman. Show him what blood traitors like this are good for." Voldermort swept the through the room to the high chair that sat facing the followers that were still unmoving with heads bowed.

Bellitrix Lestrange sat to the right of the chair on the floor. She kissed and nipped his hand affectionately. The slow death and coming rape of her sister had no effect on her whatsoever. If anything, she began to become more excited with the coming blood lust. Voldermort stoked Bella's head and waited for Lucius to respond.

Lucius bowed towards the chair and lifted his regal head up to meet his eyes, unwavering.

"Anything you wish my lord, if the boy needs a lesson, so be it."

Draco started to struggle, regardless of if Snape was warning him or not. He would not allow his mother to be defiled like this. "_I will not let this fucking happen, this can't be happening, Snape can't let father do this, I need to do something right..." _

Reading Draco's mind almost instantly Snape griped him tighter and cast the unforgivable in his mind. It was what had to be done to save the boys life. He could only hope that The Dark Lord was far too distracted with all the excitement to notice, and that perhaps once day, Draco could forgive him.

"_Imperio."_

As if the world had stopped spinning, Draco's entire body went slack. His thoughts became nothing but an elusive puff of clouds. "_Where am I?" _was the initial thought, but then another puff of softness took over his head " _Who cares."_ Snape jammed the wand harder into the boys throat to appease the Dark Lord who stole a glance at Severus. He bent low to whisper in his ear, his voice barely heard "Do not move Draco, _no matter what."_

The voice landed lightly on the cloud in the boys head "_Don't move, I won't move." _He repeated it in his head and relaxed against the hard wood pressing against his neck as his eyes moved over his father who was steeping back from his fallen wife as three other member approached her.

Even through the Imperious Draco felt a sudden chill wreck his spine at the sight of the three masked men towering over his mother. This was the woman who held him after nightmares and brushed his blonde hair from his face when he had cold sweats or was sick, the woman who protected him against anyone or anything, the woman who saw no flaws in him, the woman who cherished him. She only saw him as a son she would do anything for, die for, for love.

Draco turned his head slowly to look at Snape who was now just about the same height as him.

Snape had his attention trained on the scene before him, but upon feeling the hard grey eyes of the boy he had practically raised in school he couldn't help but glance at him. As Draco's eyes met Severus's he realized that after this, in this moment right now Draco would never be a boy again.

Although in a complete daze Draco could see that even though his former potion masters face was trained hard as stone, his eyes told a different story. There was regret, remorse, and pain, even if it was just a flash Draco caught it.

He knew that his mother and Snape had been friends in school. Did he wish to stop the scene before him as well? _If only I could could move._

Voldermort narrowed his eyes at the two of them "Severus! Get Lucius's child under control, he will witness what a true whore his mother is!" Snape's head snapped up at the command, he cast another quick glance into the boys eyes.

"_Im sorry." _spelt into them for less that a millisecond before Draco's body was forced to the ground by Severus. His head was pressed to the dirty cold floor faced away from his mother. Snape whispered a curse with his wand still pressed in on Draco's windpipe, the spell caused his head to whip to the other side to face the horrific scene before him.

Narcissa had been pushed onto her knees with her face turned towards Draco, Her head still lay on the dirty floor with her cheek pressing hard against the rocks. Her blonde hair looked like a tangled mass of blood and dark matter. The woman's body was so wrecked that she couldn't even support her own weight with her body, so she lay there like a broken rag doll, her eyes empty until they made contact with Draco's.

Instantly her eyes registered his face and her gaze softened, her bloody, broken lips curved just a bit up. There was a flash of pain on her face as one of the death eaters pushed up what was left of her dress and entered her from behind, but she did not scream. Even as all three of the masked followers took their turns on her, each one being rougher than the last. She did not make a sound.

Still under the curse, Draco sat unmoving as he gazed into his mothers eyes. He wished to tell her all the things he never said, but it was too late. He tried to speak through what emotion he could muster with eyes. "_Mother, I love you. I don't want to be like them. This is not how I pictured my life."_

Narcissa gazed upon the light emotions moving through her only sons eyes. She sighed and gave way to the pain and slowly closed her own, a darkness taking her over. They didn't stop after she had passed out though, they continued to violate every hole in the older woman's body until the blood was everywhere, making impossible to even see what they were fucking anymore.

After they finished with her, Lucius stepped forward once again and gazed at the gory mess that was his wife. Lucius held no remorse in his eyes, only contempt. He lazily pointed his wand at the broken rag doll of a woman, raising his wand as if she didn't even deserve the energy to be killed by his magic.

"A dirty blood traitor bearing my only heir, a shame really. _Aveda Kedavera" _

The whole event had Voldermort in a stir of excitement, the smell of blood and fluid reeking in the cold room. The show was over though, so now there was business to attend to. He dismissed everyone besides his beloved pet Bella, The two remaining Malfoy's, and Severus.

" My lord" Severus yanked the young Malfoy from the floor swept into a deep bow in front of the large chair, pushing the boy down into a bow with him. " May I make request to borrow the boy, this little show has put a nick into my potion brewing for the upcoming events of your rule, I shall need assistance from Mr. Malfoy to complete these potions on time."

Snape made sure to sweep into a deeper bow if even possible. Volermort seemed to contemplate this and glanced over at Lucius. "Lucius, Severus requests the aide of your son for our cause, is this agreeable for you?" He hissed as if to dare Lucius to state otherwise.

Lucius nodded his head towards Snape in a simple gesture. " Take him, I no longer have need for him right now. I think he learned his lesson." Lucius chuckled and Voldermont hissed in satisfaction causing Bellitrix to stir under him and rub lightly against the chair.

"Off with you Severus."

Without another word, Snape apparated out of sight.

Snape could only think of one safe place to go, and with that thought they landed in one of the upper Rooms of the Black House at 12 Grimmwald Place. Draco was still in a complete dream state. He landed into the room with a stumble in his step, a lost look in his eyes.

Severus took a deep breath and whispered "_Imperio."_

There was a heavy silence as Severus watched the emotions finally play over Draco's face, his lips curling into the most foul scowl he thought he has ever seen. He froze as he watched tears stream down the blonde boys face and Severus could only look away as the boy released the most horrid blood curdling scream he had ever heard. All the anger and pain that had been constricted by the imperious came out ten fold. He leaned against the wall of the old house as he watched the boy, no, the man crumple to the floor in a huge heap of unconstricted emotions.

From downstairs, members of the Order including Hermione and Harry looked up in shock at the sound of the scream coming from upstairs in the house.

Before anyone could act, Hermione darted up the stairs as fast as her legs would take her.


	2. Tea and Cigarettes

Authors Notes: Sorry it took so long to get chapter two up and running. I've been swamped with school so hopefully I'll be able to update at least once a week. Thank you for all the feedback guys!

Chpater 2: Tea and Cigarettes

"No rwrry thrse r' gwyt!" Hermione scrunched her face in pure disgust at the sight of her best friend sitting across from her. Ron tried speaking and was shoveled another mouthful of mashed potatoes into his mouth at the same time . She couldn't help but huff and turn back to The Daily Prophet which she held near the tables ledge.

"Really Ron, it would be wonderful to enjoy one meal without your mouth spewing food everywhere."

She flicked her wrist daintily, trying to rid her paper of crinkles. She moved her gaze slightly to the left at Harry who was trying in vain to wipe off some of the gifts Ron had left him all over his shoulder and sweater. They both made eye contact and communicated silently, smirking at the site of Ron looking back and forth between them.

"Broody hell, ould' you guys stop doing that? S' creepy." He turned back to the meal at hand after his muffled, open mouthed comment.

Hermione looked at both of her friends and smiled. As much as she hated to admit it, it was nice to be back at Grimmwald place. They had spent the better part of this year in search of the Horcruxes, a mission that was very much still in progress. There was something that satisfied her about having a warm bed and a shower available at night, although most people would say those luxuries were necessary, most of their time had been spent out in the wilderness this year.

Harry seemed to be more balanced stationed rather than on the run. His anger peaked more constantly being on the run. The fear of not being aware of what was happening back at home base ate away at him slowly but surely while camping out in the unknown. His face looked slightly annoyed at Ron's food spewing, but all in all, He looked much better than a few months back.

Remus and Tonks sat quietly at the other side of the long oak table and smiled over with amusement filling their eyes at the sight of the three best friends. Headquarters was having a fairly quiet night. Everyone had settled for going home or moping around for a quick bite and some tea. For most of The Order, you could say it was to quiet for their taste. The quiet before the storm.

"Hermione, I was thinking that tonight we could go over some of the things you've been researching about the..." Harry didn't have a chance to finish his sentence as the distinct Pop drifted from upstairs. Everyone raised their eyes up towards the ceiling with speculative glances, even Ron stopped chewing and looked up from his plate.

"I'm guessing that's Severus, I wonder why he decided to apparate all the way up there." Remus grunted. He turned back to his tea on the table and lifted the cup to his lips to take a sip, but before he could let a single drop touch his lips he jumped in his seat and sloshed the hot liquid all over the table top.

A horrifying hoarse scream echoed throughout the entire house, almost shaking it with it's intensity.

Everyone was instantly up and out of their chairs, shocked by the pain that was etched into the terrible sound. Before anyone could make a dash for the lower hallway and stairs Hermione had pushed her chair out by the sounds of the apparation alone and bolted away from the table and up the stairs as fast as her legs would take her. Everyone else trampled out of the kitchen and followed at her heels.

She could almost tripped as she stopped outside of the bedroom that the agonized sound was coming from and pulled out her wand. "Alohamora." she burst inside and her eyes went wide at the sight before her. Snape stood in the far corner of the bedroom, his robes covered in dust and his face looking weary beyond his years. She turned her eyes to the floor at gasped at the sight of Draco Malfoy choking on his own air, tears streaming down his dirty, bloodied face. It was as if he was not capable of hearing the world around him though. He didn't even raise his eyes from the ground to witness her intrusion.

He looked so, ibroken./i

Instinctively she took a step forward over the threshold, but the look in Snape's eyes and the feeling of Harry's hand on her shoulder from behind made her stop. Draco fell to his knees and pounded the ground with his fists. His screams had turned to loud angry sobs. His entire body collapsed onto the wood floor and he continued to cry helplessly.

Snape had decided at this point to move over to the open door where the teens, Remus, and Tonks blocked the dark doorway. He scowled fiercely at the group "Miss Granger, kindly remove yourself from the door frame this instant." Hermione paused momentarily and then slowly backed out of the way, allowing room for the door to close.

Snape brushed past her and turned to close the door. Hermione raised her eyes to look over his shoulder to take one more look at the boy who has teased her relentlessly crumpled on the floor and felt a chill go through her at the sight of Draco's wet, red eyes boring into her own.

Even though the contact was only for a second before Snape slammed the door in her face as well as the group that stood behind her, she could almost feel the pain in that gaze. The steel grey eyes held no animosity or hate towards her, they just held a haunted look that Hermione had only ever seen on Harry's face.

Snape swept passed them and down the dark corridor of the second floor, causing Remus and Tonks to quickly follow in his wake.

"Blimey Harry, what the bloody hell is Malfoy of all people doing here? What about his dad, there's a good chance that all his death eater pals could..." Ron's whispering was cut off by Harry "Ron, shut up would you? Snape brought him, and there must be some logical explanation behind it, did you see him for gods sake?" Hermione blushed with pride at Harry for being so understanding and open to the situation as a whole.

Both boys made their way through the hall and down the stairs whispering to each other and Hermione couldn't help but roll her eyes. She gave the door one more look and followed her two best friends back to the bottom floor.

Draco didn't bother leaving the bedroom at all that night. Snape didn't even bother to return to the his room that night in order to give the boy some peace. The adults seemed to be in a dark mood that night. Even Molly Weasley kept to herself as she bustled about the kitchen to prepare dinner. Her, Harry, and Ron were kept in the dark about Draco's situation, but by the appearance of things, it wasn't good. Their whispers didn't help the situation at all either.

Hermione glanced at Harry to see if he could also feel the tension in the room. Just as he was raising a spoon full of stew to his mouth he looked over his bowl and gave her a nod. She sighed and pushed her plate away from her. She knew that she couldn't eat a bite with the feeling that sat at the pit of her stomach. Hermione glanced up at the clock and it chimed at 9:00 pm.

Molly moved her gaze up at her as she moved her chair out as dishes were magically being cleared around her. Harry started to move up from his seat and was about to speak until Ron grabbed his shoulder from where he was sitting next to him and nodded his head in a swift back and forth motion.

"Thank you for dinner Molly, it was lovely, I'm just really tired and I think I'm ready for bed." She stifled a yawn and smiled at both of her friends and a few left sitting at the table.

"Good night everyone." She turned and made her way up the stairs and into the bedroom down the hall and to the left.

A part of her knew that she wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. With everything that had been bustling around Headquarters all day she knew her nerves would be on high alert. The nightmares that ate away at her on a nightly basis didn't help much either.

She shuffled into her bathroom and look out the pins from her long hair. She grabbed her tooth brush and hummed to herself and she squirted a piece of paste onto the plastic object and started brushing her teeth. Now that she was alone she allowed her face to drop and she looked into the mirror with empty eyes. She was no longer the Hermione Granger she once knew, the one that everyone loved. Why did her entire life feel like one huge ilie/i. She spit out her tooth paste and blocked her mind from these thoughts.

iNot right now Hermione/i

Once she had finished the rest of her bathroom rituals she slipped out of her jumper and jeans and made her way to the dresser drawers near her bed stand. She slid her knickers down her legs and frumbled with the clasp of her bra. After rummaging around she spotted a cotton v neck tee and a pair of tights and threw them in haste. She plopped down on the edge of the bed and waited. She knew everyone else would be following her lead soon enough. So she let her mind wonder and simmered in her own dark thoughts. When Hermione finally snapped to her senses she scrambled for the door.

She cracked open the door just a bit to see if there were anymore noises raising up from the bottom of the stairs. Once she was positive all activity down stairs had ceased she padded slowly in her footed tights down the creaky staircase. The kitchen was silent without all of The Order members zooming in and out. The pitch black of the room seemed to swallow Hermione whole, but she knew her way around it as if it were her own home. She maneuvered her way to the stove and put on the kettle to start some tea and plopped down at the last seat near the far end of the table and pulled out a small drawer from underneath it.

She pulled out a pack of cigarettes and glanced around the room one more time before taking one out and putting it to her lips she grabbed her wand with her right hand and lit the tip. Hermione inhaled the sweet smoke and blew it out with a feeling of relief washing over her. She knew it was a bad muggle habit, but with everything that had been happening with the Order and the disappearances, she figured she of all people had earned a bad habit or two.

The kettle started to whistle lightly but she continued to ignore it and took another drag. It wasn't until she heard the soft click of the gas going off and the water slowly decrease in noise did she turn around.

Hermione felt her heart rate increase ten fold as she came face to face with Draco Malfoy. His figure was covered by the shadows near the corner of the stove and his face was hard to make out. She wouldn't have recognized him if it weren't for the trademark platinum hair.

They both froze in their current positions, not quite knowing what to do. Draco finally moved slowly towards the tea kettle while Hermione trained her eyes on him, her hand over her wand at the ready.

He remained silent and grabbed two small cups and poured the hot water in with two tea bags he had grabbed off the countertop. He turned towards her and sat both cups on the table and pulled out a chair across from her.

"Do you have another one of those on you?" Draco whispered in a horse voice. Hermione blinked in surprise and reached over to open the pack and pushed it towards him. He grabbed one and looked back at Hermione "Light?" she flicked her wrist and the cigarette came to life and burned a bright orange at the tip. He took a long drag and settled in the chair.

"I never took you as the smoking type Granger, what would the boy wonders say?" He smirked at her but the smirk held no malice. It was empty, hallow.

"What Harry and Ron don't know won't hurt them." she sucked in another drag and grabbed the hot tea and pulled the cup to her lips.

"I believe that is one of the more intelligent things I've heard you say as of recent Granger, starting to think on your own a bit?" Draco moved closer from across the table and brought his scorching eyes to meet hers. She raised her cold brown eyes to meet his own, he was shocked to see the pain the swirled in the cinnamon depths.

"Malfoy, you have no idea."

Authors Notes: I need a Beta, seriously. But anyways, chapter three coming soon guys!


	3. The Truth About Midnight

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, though I wish I did.

Authors Notes: Quick update, I know. I wasn't feeling any inspiration for The Taste of Pain, but I'm really glad I caught a little bit on spark and wrote this chapter out.

Chapter 3: The Truth About Midnight

Hermione choked a sob and desperately tried to wipe the blood out of her eyes that was clouding her vision. She barely registered her feet tripping under her as she desperately tried to regain her footing in order to avoid the onslaught of curses being fired her way. Her eyes frantically searched around and in the corner of her vision she caught sight of Zachary Smith falling to a bundle on the ground after a streak of green light exploded over his body.

_ Shit._

_Where in the hell was Harry and Ron._

She had told Harry that they hadn't planned this correctly, that they needed more time. Harry had insisted that they were ready to try and retrieve the sword from Gringotts, but the entire operation was blown and had turned into a full blown massacre. The DA members and the few adults that had accompanied them had not been prepared for the cloaked figures to appear on such short notice, almost as if they had known their plan was being put into motion at this very second.

Hermione took a sharp right and almost collided with another witch trying desperately to claw her way through the chaos. A masked figure appeared in front of the both of them and Hermione had her wand at the ready before the other witch in front of her could blink.

"Sectumempra!" she shouted. The masked figure fell to the ground and withered in pain. She didn't even glance back at the other woman and sprinted towards the main opening to the Ministry. Her thoughts were only on Harry and Ron and the other DA members, where in the hell were they? How did she manage to lose every god damn one of them?

She caught sight of Harry near the Ministry steps, Remus Lupin was fighting two masked figures at the bottom of the stone slabs. She could see Harry hovering over a body, his arm movements near hysterical. Cho Chang and Neville Longbottom stood off to the far right, shouting out defensive spells as fast as their lips would form them.

"Stupefy!" one of the death eaters in front of Remus fell as Hermione shot her spell at his opponents back. He turned to the remaining death eater and shot out a well aimed defensive spell. Hermione pushed her way past the Remus and rushed up the stairs. She spotted Harry now hugging the fallen figure to his chest, She could barely make out a mop of red hair.

_No, no, no_

Luna was rushing from the top of the ministry steps trying to make her way to Harry as well. Her usually passive dream like state had switched to one of horror Lucius Malfoy appeared from her right, grabbed her, and apparated away as if he was never there in the first place.

This entire situation could not be happening, it had to be dream. The reality of watching her friends one by one fall before her was almost too much. iAlmost./i

_Wake up Hermione_

She reached Harry and fell to her knees next to him. Tears were streaming down his dirty face as he shook Ron violently. "Fuck! Ron, Wake up!" he screamed. The red head remained as lifeless as a ragdoll, unresponsive to Harry's pain.

Hermione felt a cold chill run down to the tips of her toes as the severity of the situation fell on her soul. She tried to reach for Ron to grab him from Harry's arms, but her remaining best friend was in a violent frenzy. "No, he's not dead Hermione! He just needs to wake up! God damn it!" he shrieked.

She grabbed Harry's face and slapped him as hard as she could. He blinked slowly and let out a retching sob. There was no more time. She glanced around and saw the hooded figures slowly appearing in larger numbers. They had to get out of here if they wanted to make it out of this one alive. She reached her hands out to steady herself on both of their bodies and concentrated on the pulling from her belly as darkness took over her vision.

_Think, concentrate, 12 Grimmwald Place..._

When she opened her eyes she was greeted by the sound of Molly Weasley's chilling scream. "Ron, RON!"

She felt her body sink slowly to the floor and barely had time to register Harry's arms gathering her close trying to pad her fall. She felt nothing as she watched the horrifying scene before her. Why could she only feel the numb tingle of loss. She looked up with empty eyes as she watched Molly and Arthur

sob over the broken body of their youngest son. Cho and Lavender cried silently from the kitchen doorway, dirt still covering their bodies from the previous fight near the Ministry. Neville held Ginny as she sobbed into the older boys shoulder, inconsolable at the sight of her fallen older brother.

_My best friend is gone, he's gone forever, why can't you feel it..._

She looked into Harry's face with a blank startled expression, but his eyes were focused on the figure at the far corner of the room. Malfoy stood silently with arms crossed watching the scene before him with mild interest. The shock of the chaos seemed to effect him little, as if seeing such an uproar was a daily ritual for him.

She could hear Remus trying to console Molly over the ringing in her ears. "We can bury him tomorrow before dawn Molly, the death eaters are blood thirsty right now, they have at Luna and at least two of the other Order members. We need to let the dust settle for the night." Her voice was incoherent, but the adults slowly made their way to one of the side rooms with his body, heavy locking charms could be heard from the other side of the door.

Harry stood up from his spot of the floor and rushed the door, pounding and aiming charms at the door handle, but failing. "Let me in! Let me see him!" Harry screamed.

His behavior only seemed to rile the younger Order members even more. This made the war more material to them, more real. There was no more "on the run" adventures, only fighting and death. Blood was being spilled, and for those who survived the death eater captures, who knew at this point. Their savior was nothing more than a jumbled mess before them at the sight of his fallen comrade.

The air around them seemed to suffocate all hope, this was happening, this was real.

Then why didn't it feel real to Hermione Granger.

The group that had gathered after the fight slowly started to disperse about the house. Most of them making their way to their rooms to clean up or mourn alone. Harry disappeared down the hall to his room. The locking charms he placed could be heard all the way from downstairs where Hermione still sat puddled at the front hallway. She glanced at her blood covered fingers and gripped the fabric of her jeans until her knuckles turned a soft white. By the time she looked up from the stains on her hands everyone around her was gone besides one person.

Draco Malfoy stood in the exact spot she had seen him earlier when she had followed Harry's gaze. His expression was unchanged but his eyes watched her with mild interest. She locked her brown gaze to his own and she felt a boiling anger inside of her at his entire manner. How much had he really seen while with _them._

He broke the silence with a nervous sigh. He couldn't stand looking at her like this. She looked like some kind of broken doll. He craved her anger, her insanity, her nagging, her pain, _anything_ but Hermione Granger's silence. He needed it, he craved his own normalcy. The mudblood could provide something that no one else could give him. A real mental battle, thus, contact with the outside world and reality, away from his own deprived thoughts. What had happened to her?

"You look like shite Granger, clean yourself up, no need to appear dirtier than you already are." He was shocked when she rose to her feet on shaky feet and turned on her heel to make her way up the stairs.

"Nothing to say for yourself?" he sputtered.

Hermione stopped on the third step and seemed to falter. She pushed her way up and continued until she heard Malfoy's voice again. "Meet me in the kitchen when you've cleaned up." Hermione turned slightly to look at him with a cold gaze and started to make her way to her room, leaving him to stare up the stairs in her wake.

She padded down the hall as if she were in a daze. Everything felt soft and fuzzy around her. She turned the handle to her room and closed it as quietly as possible. She crossed the soft carpet and slipped into the bathroom that resided in the far right corner of her bedroom. After casting a quick Silencio she tossed her wand to the floor. She slipped off her trainers and socks, they stuck to her skin with a thin layer of blood and sweat.

Hermione continued stripping until she stood in only her bra and knickers. With the turn of her head upwards her eyes came in contact with her near nude body. She could only stare for a few seconds before she slowly closed her eyes and visions played behind her eyes

_Finger tips and hands bruised her inner thighs. Her body snapped backwards as a hand slapped the side of her cheek bringing the tang of blood to her mouth. Her back arched as the slashing curse sliced through her right breast. Rough hands ripped at her delicate flesh. Blood. Blood. Blood_

Hermione's eyes snapped back open and she gazed back at her form in the mirrors reflection. Her eyes moved down as she studied the small slashes that covered her pale thighs. She stepped forward and opened the mirror cabinet and grabbed a small plastic case from behind her toothpaste. She slowly opened the corner of the container to reveal a small blade.

_Hot wet breath in her ear and on the side of her neck. Crawling on the bloody dirty floor naked, retching bile with no substance. Multiple hands gripping her hips and legs. Cold blood running down her thighs._

She felt the sharp edge kiss the skin of her inner thigh and the sight of the blossoming red bubble caused her to sob in relief and anguish. The entire battle and Ron's death hit her at full force and she collapsed to the ground gasping for air. The blade dropped from her fingers with the lightest clink on the hard tiled floor. Hermione's hands began to shake as she clenched her fists and let out an anguished scream that was muffled by the tears and snot running down her reddened face. She didn't know how long she lay there on the ground and cried before she dragged herself into the shower.

Draco glanced at the clock as it chimed midnight. He hadn't left the downstairs area since the entire house had erupted into chaos. He felt uncomfortable being left to fend for himself by Snape, But he knew the man had other responsibilities tonight. Like explaining Draco's mysterious disappearance. He had a feeling that it wasn't going so great, judging by how long he had been gone Draco could only guess that The Dark Lord was not pleased. He only hoped that Snape would make it back to The Order before Voldermort sniffed him out.

Draco set his feet up on the table top and eyed out the drawer he had seen Granger grab the smokes out of the night before. He moved his left hand to open the small handle and grabbed the package out of it's dark hiding place. Just as he was about to pull one out a noise from the archway to the kitchen caused him to glance over.

"It's rude to take without asking Malfoy." she whispered. Hermione stood with her arms crossed in the doorway wearing the same tights and tee-shirt he had seen her in the night before. Her hair was still wet from her shower, it dangled lifelessly over her narrow shoulders.

He couldn't help but try to lighten the mood and smirked. "Don't get your knickers in a bunch Granger, I'll get your fix started up to." He pulled two cigarettes out of the pack and lit them both with the tip of his wand. Draco leaned back into his chair and loosely held one of the fags out to her.

She slowly padded forward and reached for it, taking it to her mouth and inhaling a long drag. She stood there for a moment, observing the boy she had grown up with. His features were shadowed by the dimly lit kitchen, making him appear somewhat older and more deadly than she recalled.

She padded her way around his chair without a second glance and filled the kettle up with water that was resting on the counter. Once it was on the stove she took a seat in the chair Draco had used the night before and stared openly at him through the cloud of smoke.

"So tell me Granger, was that how most of The Orders missions are carried out? I can't really say that was a sterling example of organization." His voice had a bite to it, but he couldn't help relaxing slightly when he realized she had completely ignored his question and wasn't going to respond.

He couldn't help the words that slipped out of his mouth "Sorry about Weasley."

_Where the hell did that come from..._

Hermione glanced up at him and her eyes turned cold as and took another drag of her cigarette. "What happened to you with them Malfoy, why are you even here?." Her blunt question caused Malfoy to scowl and and his jaw to tighten.

The loud whistle of the kettle broke his stare and he moved to make two cups of tea. He set his cup lightly down at his seat and slowly leaned over Hermione, slamming the cup of tea in front her, causing the hot brown liquid to slosh out. She felt her body go rigid, but tried to not let it show in her facial expression. She could feel his hot breath on the side of her ear, tickling the small hairs near the nape of her neck. His lips barely brushed the side of her ear and she could barely make out his cold whisper.

"I don't know Granger, maybe I'll tell you if you tell me what really happened when my father and Bella captured you. Word was that you didn't escape for iweeks./i

Before her could say anything else Hermione had turned her chair and slapped him across the face as hard as her palm would allow, causing his head to rear to the right. Draco swiveled his head back towards her with anger filling his eyes ready to scream obscenities, but she was already out of the chair and running down the hall and up the stairs as fast as her legs would take her.

Authors Notes: Thanks for all the reviews guys, love reading them! Chapter four will be out soon enough.


	4. Best Friends Make the World Go Round

Authors Notes: Finally, an update! I'm having a bit of a block with my character development as of recent, but I promise there is much more brian storming ahead. Thanks for waiting you guys and bearing with me on Burn It to the Ground and The Taste of Pain. I love all the feedback.

Chapter Four: Best Friends Make the World Go Round

Hermione stared down blankly at her black mary janes that were beginning to catch a drizzle from the rain that was starting to pelt the Weasley's back yard. She dared not look up at tombstone where Ron had been laid that morning, a symbol of her best friends demise. Everyone else had retired back to the Weasley house after Ron's body had been put to rest, the weather agreeing with everyones somber mood.

Hermione closed her eyes to savor the cold mist that was coming from the open sky and weeping upon her. She felt as if she had lost a leg, or another limb that had been a part of her for as long as she could remember. Her thoughts wandered as she tried to touch the pain within herself at the loss she felt.

Quiet footsteps softly padded behind her, but she didn't notice as she let herself become lost in her own thoughts. A soft hand touched her shoulder lightly and she resisted the urge to jump, she could recognize that touch anywhere.

Harry looked down at his best friend with dark expression. In a way he had no idea how to comfort her when he could barely console himself. They always communicated silently, and he hoped that would be enough for her for at this moment in time.

To his surprise Hermione raised her head up to look at him through her wet lashes, and he couldn't tear himself away from her completely pained expression.

There was something in Harry that snapped in that moment. The slow realization that crept into his veins that something might be wrong with Hermione that he didn't know about. The emotions that flashed through her eyes was enough to make his heart stop momentarily, the pain in her eyes expressed more experience than anyone should know.

Most of Harry was mourning the loss of his best friend, but as he looked down at the small girl he had known since childhood, he started to realize that he barely knew the woman that stood in front of him now. The only thing they had been able to focus on was the war at hand, and the ways they could stop it.

Instinctively he reached to cup the side of her wet cheek and that was all it took for Hermione to throw her arms around his neck. He gripped her like a lifeline, as if she might disappear right before him. The pitter patter of the rain covered what little noise came from Hermione, muffling her silent sobs.

Hermione let her weight go quite suddenly, her knees giving way to the anguish she felt in her broken heart. At first Harry held her to him tightly, trying to keep her weight steady. The wet ground became mush under his feet and he also let himself succumb to the heavy burden on his shoulders and slummed down into the ground with her.

Both friends fell to their knees, the squelching ground complaining from their hard fall.

"Harry..." her voice was barely a whisper over the rain, but their was a desperation in it that he couldn't quite place. He raised his head slowly and looked down at her. Harry lowered his head to hers and brushed her wet lips in the lightest of kisses, if her eyes hadn't been open she would swear it was a dream.

He pulled back as quickly as he had moved towards her. "We'll get through this Hermione, we have to keep going, for Ron, for us." his voice was horse with emotion.

"Don't drift away from me. I need you." he said.

Hermione felt her heartstrings pull at his soft words. She tried to block out the images of despair that flashed through her mind. She couldn't stare into his eyes for any longer, it was tearing her apart. It was hard to keep her guard up around Harry, to pretend like she was going to make it through all of this.

She pulled herself to her feet slowly, trying to bring some of Harry's weight with her.

"Come on, let's get inside before we both catch a cold." she said. She pulled herself from Harry's grasp as they both moved on shaky feet back to the Borrow. Every step that they took felt like saying goodbye to their friend all over again.

"Hold on Hermione, for Ron, for Harry..." she thought as Harry's hand closed around her own and squeezed tightly.

Both of them dared not look back.

Draco Malfoy to put it lightly, was pissed. He sat on a lone chair facing the window in one of the Weasley's guest rooms with a scowl set on his tight face. Not only had he been forced out of headquarters to be babysat by these arses, he was also stuck in the Weasley's house for the third member of the Trio's funeral.

This was something he did not feel comfortable being a part of, he did not feel loss, or feel anything less than loathing for Ron Weasley. Despite his dislike for the youngest male of the ginger clan, he felt the need to respect his friends and families mourning by steering clear of the event entirely. Snape's whereabouts were still unknown, leaving Draco once again, to his own defenses.

He could hear the bustle of people downstairs, Mrs. Weasley's sniffles and sobs could be heard over the soft chatter and clanking of dishes. He dared not venture down there though, Merlin forbid if anyone tried to talk to him whilst he was sulking. He let his eyes drift over to the large bay window that the old armchair was place in front of.

The large yard seemed to sink into the fog as the soft pelting of rain hit the roof and the sides of the window. Just as he was about to turn his head away from the window something caught his eye from the far corner of the tall grass.

Hermione stood near the small tombstone that flanked the tall grass reeds that surrounded the property.

He spotted Harry about three meters away from her out of her vision. Her posture was rigid until Potter made his approach and laid his hand on the small girls shoulder. She visibly relax at his touch and after both of them stood there for a while Hermione turned towards him and threw her arms around his neck.

Draco couldn't contain his curiosity as he openly stared and remaining two of the golden trio. He had always observed them in school, mind you he had always watched from a far and with distain being with his fellow peers. But here, alone in a house and a room of a former enemy, he could watch them openly without judgement. He cocked his head to the side and watched with a blank expression as both figures slid to the ground together.

Draco felt a pang of jealousy at the closeness both of them exuded. He would never know the touch or comfort of another human being with his mother gone, never like them. Slowly the darkness of his memories began to consume his curious gaze as he watched Harry lean into Hermione and place a kiss to her lips.

No, not Granger and Potter.

He had always known that bookworm had a soft spot for him over Ron, but it always seemed fairly platonic. Either way, he couldn't help but be surprised at the other wave of jealously that passed through him.

This time it wasn't focused on their friendship that he coveted, but the kiss Potter had planted on her.

He tore his gaze away when both figures moved from the ground and began to approach the Burrow.

Draco wasn't about to get caught staring at the two from the third story window. Soon his eyes were drawn back outside for the lack of things to look at around the small, barely furnished room. Draco found his eyes locked with empty cinnamon brown ones.

Hermione stopped right before the foyer and pulled her hand from Harry's grasp. She knew she wasn't ready to face the everyone grieving inside just yet. Harry turned around and cast her a curious look.

"Go ahead, I need a bit of time to walk around and think. Do you mind telling everyone I'll be inside in a bit?" she said.

He considered her words and gave her a soft smile. "Sure thing, don't stay out here too long." he added.

With that he turned on his heel and swept in through the front door. Hermione looked around the property trying to distinguish where a good place to smoke without being seen would be. All of the sudden her search ceased and she froze in place.

She could almost feel someone looking at her from one of the upstairs windows as she turned to look up to one of the upstairs bay windows and felt a cold chill run through her spine when she watched Malfoy slowly turn his face and look down at her. The memories of their conversation late into the night at headquarters played through her head as she gazed into those cold mercury eyes.

"He knows everything" she thought. Fear ran through the blood in her viens.

Before Hermione could lose herself in her head she turned her eyes away from him and walked cautiously to the porch and opened the door with a slight creek. As much as she wanted time to herself right now, she didn't want to spend it with Malfoy staring at her.

Once everything had settled inside everyone began filtering out back to headquarters or their place of residence. The food and grief had been shared, and now the Weasley's needed to be left alone to mourn there youngest son.

Hermione was second through the floo back to Grimmwald place. Her intense need to get back to the safety of her room overwhelmed her entire being. She stepped through the dark fireplace at headquarters in a daze as tears started to run down her face. Her feet took her quickly up the stairs, ignoring the few voices calling her name from the large living room.

Hermione opened her door swiftly and slammed it shut. She closed her eyes and silently prayed that Harry wouldn't follow her after her abrupt exit. After a few seconds of silence she crossed the carpet to the small window near her four poster bed. She dug around in her pockets and pulled out a soft pack of cigarettes. She lit one and blew the smoke out through the widow that offered little light on such a dark day.

The cigarette in her fingers barely touched her lips for the second time before the was a soft knock and the door.

"Shit" she whispered.

Her panic causing her to throw the barely used smoke out of the cracked panel of the window.

"Harry, I don't feel like talking right now, I'll come down in just a.." before she could finish her sentence she heard a dark chuckle from the other side of the door that was definitely not Harry, her eyes widened in shock.

"Don't worry Granger, it's not Potter." he mumbled darkly.

Authors Notes: Oh my, oh my. I bet you all are wondering what's going to happen between Harry and Hermione. Where will more private conversations lead with our infamous Draco?


	5. Potter Is Waiting For You

Authors Notes: Ah-ha! I bet you thought I was gone forever, never to return with an update. Well, here I am, back in action. I'm ready for some juicy new chapters for this story, were approaching that H/Hr/D triangle. Oh me oh my. This one is pretty long, enjoy. Thanks for all the reviews.\

Chapter 5: Potter Is Waiting For You

Hermione stepped towards the door but paused and thought better than to open it. She knew it was a bad idea. Every fear, every emotion, every piece of her soul should be running rampant inside of her, but she stood cold and unmoved to the sound of the voice through the door.

"What do you want Malfoy" Her voice remained low, but she knew he could hear her through the thick wood of the old oak door.

"I want you to tell me what happened Granger. Meet me tonight in the garden." his voice was a low whisper but there was a certain strain he put behind his words. He put his hand against the old wood and waited. He could feel her pause, her indecisiveness.

_ What happened to you..._

"There is nothing to tell Malfoy." her voice was still numb and distant. A shuffle could be heard from the other side of the door and she look down to see the shadow under the door move slightly. Was he nervous? What was he doing?

"Then prove it. Meet me at midnight, I'll be outside waiting." She leaned against the door and he could feel her weight, sense her presence on the wood. Draco closed his eyes and breathed out deeply and swept down the hallway as quickly as he had come before Potter caught him near her door.

On the other side Hermione slowly slid down to the ground and breathed a sigh of relief. Her eyes weighed heavy, all of her clothes still muddy from the burrow. She found herself drifting off against the door with one last thought.

He was gone.

A loud crash woke Hermione with a start, her back ached against the cold surface of the door. Voices carried to the top of the steps and all the way down the hallway. Her mind felt foggy but as her brian started sending alarms at the familiarity of the voices she shot up and struggled with the door handle. Her legs felt like jello as she clumsily ran down the stairs, still in a state of disarray. She stopped dead in her tracks at the bottom of the stairs, no one seemed to notice her right away.

Harry was leaned against the wall near the kitchen, head tucked near his chest in deep thought, Draco not far off in the background standing behind him in the shadows of the dark kitchen. "What do you mean they think we've taken him? Now Lucius and the whole lot of them will be on the hunt for him!" Lupin paced frantically on the foyer. A bloody and disheveled Severus Snape was the first to notice her as his eyes peeled up from Remus to gaze at her momentarily.

"I came to deliver this message, I don't know if I shall be returning, for everyones safety. I refuse to reveal to them that Draco has taken refuge here, we don't know the outcome of this fight, His alleged allegiance to them may prove useful. I'm afraid my loyalties have been questioned. I must go." Snape glanced at her one more time, and for a moment, she saw a hint of remorse in his eyes. "Severus, this is preposterous, were leaving these kids to do this on their own! We need more information!" Lupin raised his voice.

"Let him go." Harry's voice was low and dangerous. "We're not kids anymore Remus. Malfoy stays, it's late, once everyone can regroup in the morning we can talk about where this is going to go. Where iwei/ are going to go. Snape has done everything he can." Harry raised his head to meet eyes with his former teacher, his fathers former enemy, his mothers friend. A look of understanding crossed between the two, and he was gone. Nothing but smoke as he apparated from Grimmwald Place.

Remus let out a heavy sigh and climbed the landing without even glancing or saying a word to a dirty and mussed Hermione. His will gone, his mind tired from the short discussion. She looked down to see that Draco was no longer standing behind Harry, but had disappeared into the shadows of the house. His godfathers admission making it near impossible for him to stay around. She was sure he was going somewhere dark, somewhere to think. She could respect that.

Harry looked up at her and Hermione couldn't help but feel the gripping at her chest. She felt it, as tiny as it was, it was ifeelingi/. A moment of silence crossed between the two of them. Ron wasn't there with them. Something about it all just didn't feel right. They had all grown so close, hunting the horcruxes, living on minimum means, taking everything day by day. Personal space and boundaries had little or no meaning in times of war, that much Hermione knew.

Harry stepped toward her first, his move was cautious, as if he didn't want to scare her away. "Hey, I figured you were sleeping. It's already ten thirty and you haven't even changed, Come on, lets go upstairs and get you cleaned up." He took another step towards her but Hermione instinctively stepped back up a stair, nearly tripping in the process.

He stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes held a pain that she couldn't quite comprehend. They were missing a piece of themselves. She held her breath and took a step forward and grabbed his hand and the tension in his body fled and he visibly relaxed. She coaxed him with a tug on his fingers. "Come on." she whispered.

They both walked slowly up to her room and shut the door quietly behind them. Little did they both know a pair of grey eyes watched them from the shadows.

Harry looked around the room and inhaled deeply. This room would forever be Hermione's room. The smell, the organized stacks of parchment and endless supply of research information that littered the room. He couldn't help but catch the scent of lingering smoke.

He knew she started indulging in that habit, but never brought it up. After everything he had put her though, everything she had been through for all of them, he never would question her. He shuffled to her dresser and riffled through her belongings and found a change of clothes for her while she rummaged through the laundry hamper for a clean towel.

"Can I sit with you?" Harry's voice was quiet and full of sorrow. She turned to see him with the articles of clothes in his hands looking lost without a sense of purpose. She hesitated, but then remembered who she was talking to. "No need to ask Harry." she said. They both moved the adjoined bathroom and Harry did what he used to do while they were out in the wilderness. He turned towards the sink and looked down while Hermione moved around and prepared her shower.

She turned the water on as hot as it would go and looked over her shoulder to make sure Harry was turned away. She couldn't help but smile lightly as Harry played with invisible particles of the sinks surface so as to not look up and invade her privacy. She turned around and went to move into the shower.

Harry couldn't resist and glanced up and caught sight of her bare back and long legs. A heavy blush crept into his cheeks but he couldn't tear his eyes away. Along the sides of her inner thighs were tiny slices that covered the smooth pale surface. Her back was marred with fading welts and and large scars. A searing hot pain hit the inside of his heart as he placed his gaze back down and the shower curtain closed with a snap. He heard Hermione sigh in relief and he turned towards the shower and propped his hands behind him to support his weight on the vanity sinks surface. He waited a few minutes before he began to speak, soaking in the personal atmosphere of the situation.

"Hermione?" his voice was quiet against the pelting of water against tile. "Yes Harry?" Hermione called. There was another pause. "Please tell me what happened, I know you didn't tell Ron, somehow only Snape knows, please, talk to me." His voice was begging in tone.

Tears welled up in her eyes and she slid to the shower floor, the tiles cold in comparison to the hot water. She chose her words carefully "One day Harry, I'll tell you. Today is not that day, I'm not ready. Please don't hold that against me." she choked back a sob at her last sentence.

His anger began to overpower the situation "What did they do to you...what...what is that on your body...Hermione, I'll kill them, please, don't close up to me. Ron's gone, I need you, don't push away from me." he raised his voice a few notches and Hermione closed her eyes at the vibrations it caused throughout the bathroom.

"Not today Harry." she tried to make her voice as firm as possible and was met with a pregnant silence.

"Fine, I'm here, and I'll be waiting." his voice lowered and Hermione visibly relaxed. Harry's next question left her in a state of shock though "Hermione, do you trust Malfoy?" she turned the water off and reached for the shower curtain and peeled it away to peek her face out to peer and Harry who looked at her expectantly. "Something happened to him to Harry" she said as she grabbed for the towel that Harry was holding towards her in his hands. "Terrible things have happened to all of us, and I think that Malfoy has seen those terrible things too." Her voice began to trail off as she disappeared behind the curtain again to dry off.

"I read the prophet when we got back. His mom is dead." Hermione froze at Harry's words and a slow realization began to creep into her blood. "I don't think he's here to help...them." He sensed that she was getting ready to open the shower curtain and turned away to brace his arms back on the sink. She slowly stepped out of the shower and moved behind Harry to grab the pile of clothes he had grabbed for her out of the dresser.

His eyes moved to look up into the mirror and they both stared at one another for briefest of moments. The moment was only broken with her next words. "I don't think so either." Harry's eyes moved back down and Hermione slowly slipped the towel off and turned around to dress away from her best friends gaze.

She knew Harry was stalling around her. He fumbled with this and that around her room while she tried to pick up a bit after exiting the bathroom. His nervous voice interjected the silence "Hermione, we need to leave soon, we're running out of time and we still haven't found all of them. Tomorrow morning we brief everyone on the research, or some of it. Then we need to start setting plans and putting them into action." He said.

Hermione stopped what she was doing and glanced up at him, he looked terrible, they both did. She looked up at the clock at her bedside and it read eleven forty five. She knew that she had made up her mind to speak to Malfoy again. Deep in the darkness of the night he offered her a reminder of her pain, of feeling.

She walked towards Harry and touched his arm causing him to turn around quickly to face her. She looked up at him and wiped some of the sweat forming at his temple near the line of his glasses. "Go to bed Harry, you're worn out and need to sleep." she whispered. "So do you, you know." he mumbled.

She gave him a sad smile and pinched his right arm. "You know I have trouble sleeping." she said. He nodded and broke the space in between them and hugged her tightly to him. She returned the hug instinctively as he bowed his head into her hair. "When you decide you can sleep, please come sleep with me. I can't stay in there by myself..with Ron being gone...it's not the same." he whispered.

She nodded and sadly and broke the hug. "I'll be in later, now go to bed." he nodded and headed for the door giving her one last look before he disappeared. Hermione waited for his footsteps to fade down the hallway and for the door at the end of the hall to close by the time she made a move to grab her cigarettes and leave the room to creep down the stairs.

She could see him before he could see her through the back door window. His hair was so very pale, even in the darkness. She opened the door slowly so as to not startle him. But Draco Malfoy really didn't seem like the easily startled type. So she wasn't surprised when he didn't make a move at the noise.

The backyard was very small with a sitting bench and a few flower boxes that had withered away from limited care. Draco Malfoy sat rigid on the bench as Hermione stopped near the other end that he was not occupying. He turned his body toward her in one fluid motion. His presence overwhelming even in the dark.

"I figured you weren't going to show, seeing as you had company." His voice was drawled and lazy "Sit." he motioned towards the other side of the bench and Hermione reluctantly sat neat the edge.

She handed him a smoke without a thought and one for herself and lit them up for each the both of them. She didn't skip a beat. "It's not what you think you know, our best friend just died." she scoffed and leaned back into the cold wood. He didn't skip a beat either. "Tell me what my father did to you." his voice was scratchy and worn.

"You're not the first person to ask me that tonight." she whispered. "What are you on about Granger?" he said. "Nothing, It's none of your fucking business Malfoy."

"I'm making it my business Granger, tell me." she stood up abruptly and snubbed out her cigarette and in one fluid movement Malfoy did the same. His height almost intimidated her, almost. "Why didn't you tell me they killed your mother." the words spewed from her mouth before she could take them back and she felt a tingle of regret fall down to the base of her spine.

He froze in place for a second before he grabbed by the waist before she knew and and pushed her violently into the fence hooking the right side of the bench. "Who told you that." he whispered. "Who told you that!" This time he shouted, and she found her voice as quickly as she could. "The news, it's everywhere. Why are you here Malfoy?" she could feel his breath on her face, and she could feel her own breath quickening.

"I want in, whatever you guys have going on here, I want to do whatever it takes to kill this fucker and if teaming up with you people means accomplishing this, so be it." his words were laced with venom but sounded honest, or as honest as any Malfoy could sound.

She thought carefully before she spoke "There's a meeting tomorrow, we're regrouping, if Harry says yes, we can brief you." she raised her eyes to his. The pain that his stormy eyes shone almost took Hermione aback.

_He has seen pain...pain that burns everything you know to the ground._

Without warning he pushed her harder against the fence and his lips crashed onto hers with such force she could taste the blood on her lips. Something inside of her that burned was brought out of her in seconds. All of the pain, the emotions she lacked and had numbed herself to burst forth as she returned his kiss violently. Why, she did not know, but she_felt _everything. There was nothing tender or soft about this kiss it reaped everything they both felt, everything they needed.

It was nothing like she has ever experienced before. His rough hands grabbed her leg roughly and brought it up near his slender hip as he shoved himself against her. Hermione gasped and felt panic slowly grip her as she gave into the ache inside of her and pushed back against him, but it was too late. Draco had felt her hesitate for that one second and pushed away from her using the rickety wood fence as leverage. He stood a few feet away from her staring and her with a look in his eyes she couldn't describe. His pale lips covered in her blood, but he made no move to wipe it away.

"Potters waiting for you. We'll be talking again soon Granger." his voice was cold and full of malice.

She felt her emotions temper down again, pushed back into boxes within her soul that Draco Malfoy had brought out of her. She struggled to not let the tears escape her eyes, as she tried to find words for a rebuttal but was lost in the pain she felt. She brushed past him and he didn't make a move as she ran towards the door and slammed it behind her.

She ran towards the downstairs bathroom and shut the door more quietly. She looked at her reflection and was shocked. Her hair is a state of complete disarray, her eyes full of fear and shock, full of emotions. Her cheeks were bright and blood tainted her small mouth. She brought her fingers to her lips and touched her mouth and choked back a scream. She quickly turned on the tap and washed her mouth out with the warm water. She watched as the water turned red, to pink, to clear. She turned off the water as it slowed to a drip. She closed her eyes tightly.

Images flashed into her mind

_Lucius was on top of her, his breath reeked of fire whiskey as she struggled against the chained bonds. Blood poured off of her small wrists and she could hear it hit the floor as she screamed over and over._

Drip

Drip

Drip

Her eyes snapped open.

_Get it together Hermione. Go to bed._

_After steeling herself once again behind her walls and barriers she slowly opened the bathroom door with a creek. Her socked footsteps were heavy and automatic as she made her way to Harry and Ron's room. She stood outside of the door and shuffled uncomfortably._

_Potter is waiting for you..._

She pulled open the door without a second thought and crept quietly. Harry needed her, where Harry was, was where she would always belong. She closed the door quietly and padded softly towards his bed. She saw his form breathing heavily in the darkness and at first glance she thought she had not woken him. She made her way towards the twin bed across the room, but as she made her way over she saw Harry turn towards her and squint in the bleary fashion that he usually did without his glasses.

He instinctively pulled the covers up on his bed and motioned her over.

Hermione paused only for a second and looked over at the empty bed where Ron once lay. She moved back over to Harry's side of the room and crawled into bed with him, the covers warm from her best friends body heat. They faced each other eyes open. Nothing needed to be said, that was the one thing she loved about Harry, there was never need for words. He gripped her fingers lightly and closed his eyes slowly. Hermione watched him for a few moments before closing her eyes and forcing darkness upon herself.

Outside Draco still stood in place, much time had passed, but he remained. Completely unmoving, still and silent. He slowly closed his eyes and licked his lips, tasting what he could believe was life, for the first time in years.

Authors Notes: Hope you guys liked it, It's starting to get quite sticky for our three lovely characters. Reviews are welcome.


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